Dual-mode impulse radio ultra-wideband transmission for body area networks

A dual-mode impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) system, which combines body channel communication for wearable on-body transmission with conventional UWB communication for in-body to on-body transmission, is proposed. The basic system structure is presented, and the path loss characteristics are derived based on numerical analysis and measurement. Moreover, through a bit error rate performance analysis, the required transmit power against communication distance shows the feasibility for on-body and in-body transmissions at a data rate of at least 10 Mbps.